Nothing beats a genealogy blog for finding family members! I’ve met two cousins–or rather my mother and their father are first cousins. Grandma’s sister Dorothy was their grandmother. Does that make us 2nd cousins? Please don’t tell me to go check out the chart . . . .
These cousins came bearing photographs, and that makes me doubly happy.
Today I will post the first one.
My new cousins and I share the same great-grandparents: Charles and Clara (Waldeck) Mulder. I’ve written about them many times, but here is a photo I have never seen before.
Charles and Clara were married on 30 April 1910 in Hastings, Michigan. This photo was first identified (to me) as their 50th anniversary photo, but on closer inspection, I am guessing maybe 40th. Her dress is more fitting for 1950, and since she died in 1953, the photo was taken before then.
This photo feels very special to me because it’s the first one where I have seen them together since they were young with young children–or since their wedding portrait.
Here is their marriage record—first the cropped portion. I will post the whole page at the bottom.
Doesn’t it look like her name is recorded as Cora? I know this is their record because of the names of their parents. I was surprised by a couple of things. One is that they were married in Hastings. I believe Charles’ brother’s family lived in Hastings and perhaps his family still does. I was surprised that my great-grandfather was a machinist and that Clara was a bookkeeper.
So I went to the 1910 census. Wow, another surprise. They were both boarders at a home in Hastings, which is in Barry County. Charles was a machinist for a car seal factory. The head of household was the married man Otto Jahnke, a German immigrant. He was also a machinist at the same factory. Otto’s wife Mildred was a homemaker. Single Clara was a bookkeeper for a book case factory.
Another surprise was that they were married in a Presbyterian church. Great-grandpa came from the Reformed tradition, and Great-grandma from the Lutheran. Neither church was in Hastings at the time. Presbyterian doctrine is very similar to Reformed. They both sprang from Calvinism.
I can’t read the pastor’s last name.
What in the world was a “car seal” in 1910?
The Family Kalamazoo 
It’s so exciting when we discover things like this 😀
I couldn’t enlarge the photo’s to take a better look 😦 sorry. Always happy when I read about cousin connections made and with photo’s too ~ bonus! I love the wedding portrait 🙂
Oops let me fix that! Thanks, Sharon!
I fixed, but not sure it’s a lot better. 😦
Great photos. Finding or receiving photos I haven’t seen before is one of my favorite parts of family history. And yes, I think you are second cousins (but I had to think about it!).
I know! I love getting photos! Second cousins, ok. I get so confused with all this twice removed stuff!!! Thanks, Laura!
Pictures handed down from my parents met with misfortune. Like you, I’ve been receiving goodies from relatives due to my blog. Of course, I could always use more!
Marilee, keep hinting for photos on your blog ;)! Isn’t it wonderful how the blog keeps bringing in more photos?! I’m really sorry to hear about the “misfortune” though. That sounds awful.
There is nothing sweeter than receiving family pictures from relatives. I was very fortunate to find cousins who had photos of long dead relatives and I treasure those so much!
You were so blessed as I have been. So many never find any old photos!
OMG, Luanne, these photos are remarkable – and to think this is the first that you’ve seen them!
Wonderful!!
Well, the wedding photo I had. But the other really fills in a gap in time for me. Thanks, Sheila!
How amazing! (And yes, you are second cousins.) So there was no 50th anniversary if she died in 1953. Her dress does look more 1940-ish to me, but you know I know almost nothing about fashion. Where is car seal used? I don’t see it. But I did find this 1910 patent for an improvement on a car seal….https://patents.google.com/patent/US1003793A/en
How interesting! We need a car expert now! I suppose It wouldn’t have to be for an auto. What do I know?! How did you find this?
My friend Google!
I love your friend!
What a nice find! As others pointed out – yes, you are second cousins. Could it possibly be a car “seat” manufactory?
I actually think it is seal as it is written that way for both men.
Fascinating photographs
Thanks, Derrick!
Oh those photos! How wonderful to have the photos shared with you 🙂 I’ve learned that is was extremely common for young adults to board in homes in those days. My grandmother was a teacher and depending on which school she was needed at, she had various homes she stayed in.
Interesting that she was sent to different schools. What is that for new terms or would she ever be sent midterm? I am starting to think boarding was more common than I ever realized. And it surprises me that a lot of these boring houses were men and women together in the same house. But then I have to think back to Alcott’s Little women. That’s how Jo met the Professor!
Just asked my mother (it was her mother) and we believe she taught for a year at a location as it was rural Iowa schools as that was where she was certified. She boarded with families not necessarily single people. She went home for holidays and other breaks.